Being a seasonal worker we are trapped living and working in the same place. We get consumed in the endless drama of our co-workers stupid habits or in the guests that are just TOO needy. And then we get a day off—but we only get one so we have to plan every single ounce of time we have.

Some people like to sleep in and just be lazy for their day off but that isn’t the case at the ranch here. Our location is prime. We live in Grand Teton National Park and with Yellowstone only 40 minutes away options are limitless! Oh and how can I forget the town of Jackson Hole! Where you can enjoy a yummy breakfast at The Bunnery and then spend the rest of your paycheck on cute clothes from Earthbound or a cold beverage from Cowboy Coffee. Sometimes it’s fun to be a tourist.

For certain people who like to get outside climbing the peaks were the goal. So the alarm would go off at 5am and you would jump into your car and drive to your trailhead where you’d spend the whole day hiking 15-27miles up the face of mountains and rummaging through boulder fields. People think they’re crazy but it’s all about how you choose to spend your time and what really matters to you.

On my days off I find myself hiding in between the bookshelves at the library and applying to jobs. Having to try and be an adult is pretty draining and boring if you ask me. But on days when I treat myself—I rent a paddleboard from Doran’s and make my way into the park and paddle along String Lake into Leigh Lake. The water is cold but you feel like you’re so close to the sun that it really doesn’t bother you. Once you get away from the Tourists you can hear the trees whispering to each other through their leaves and the mountains are always keeping an eye on you.

Sometimes we forget we live in this place because we are so focused on our job and don’t realize that every morning the Tetons want to greet you while you take a sip of your morning coffee. Living and working here has really helped me to become the human I want to be because of the time off I am given. I have to think about how I want to spend my day and there is a lot of self-reflection on how I want to live my life. Here, I’ve learned I want to be excited to wake up for work and enjoy myself throughout the day.

Sure, it would be nice to get two days off so one day could be spent applying to future jobs or running errands and then camp that night and get the next day to hike—but it doesn’t work like that. So we plan accordingly and appreciate what we are blessed with in this great state of Wyoming.